Most US Adults Skip Year-End Charitable Donations Poll

Despite the numerous fundraising calls made by nonprofits that depend on donation increases in the calendar's last month to meet budget targets, the results of a recent AP-NORC poll show that the majority of Americans are not planning their end-of-year philanthropic giving. According to a survey conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research in early December, over 50% of American respondents indicate they have already paid their 2025 charity contributions. Just 18% of respondents say they have already made a donation and plan to do so again before the year is up. Just 6% have not yet provided a report, although they plan to do so by the end of December. Thirty percent have not donated and have no intention of doing so.

Adam Whitmore

This year, everyday donors had to choose between conflicting priorities. Natural catastrophes like the historically deadly wildfires in Los Angeles, along with President Donald Trump's severe foreign aid rollbacks, November SNAP payments freeze, and cuts to social services grants, left no shortage of pressing causes in need of increased help. However, lower-income households had less money to transfer due to strong price inflation and weaker income gains. The number of people who donate has been declining for years, according to other studies.

Beginning in January, most taxpayers will benefit from new charitable deductions of up to $1,000 for individuals and $2,000 for married couples, thanks to Trump's tax and spending package. However, in anticipation of a new floor for donation write-offs that will go into effect in 2026, some itemizers might give more items this year.

According to Dianne Chipps Bailey, managing director of Bank of America's Philanthropic Solutions group, December continues to be a "very important deadline" for donors. According to National Philanthropic Trust estimates, the last month of the year accounts for over one-third of all donations.

According to Bailey, "December 31 does provide a target to make sure that they have given what they intended to give before the year is over."

Jamie Larson

Senior Writer · Investigative Journalism

Jamie writes deep-dive reporting on technology, society and culture. Former editor at independent publications, Jamie focuses on clear storytelling and long-form investigations.

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